Cab Drivers Move Bombay High Court Against Maharashtra Language Mandate

Four drivers operating via mobile cab aggregator applications filed a petition in the Bombay High Court to strike down a state directive mandating Marathi language proficiency for commercial drivers.

Advocate Vivek Shukla submitted the plea, seeking an immediate stay on the notification to protect the livelihoods of nearly 9.65 lakh drivers across Maharashtra.

The petition is scheduled to be mentioned before the Chief Justice on August 26, 2026 for urgent directions, Bar and Bench reported.

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik formally notified the rule on August 12, 2026 with the government directive requiring all passenger vehicle drivers to possess a working knowledge of Marathi to operate in the state.

Legal Challenges Raised

The petitioners argue that enforcing a compulsory Marathi rule violates their fundamental rights. The plea cites infringements upon Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of trade) and 21 (right to life) of the Constitution.

The legal challenge contends the mandate is ultra vires the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, which contains no language prerequisites for obtaining a driving licence, the report stated.

The petition stated: "The parent Act (Motor Vehicles Act) confers no power upon the State Government to prescribe working knowledge of any language as a qualification for a driver, as a condition of a badge, or as a condition of a permit, and confers no power to suspend or revoke a badge on such a ground."

It also argued that the mandate "manufactures a new disqualification and a new ground of suspension" that Parliament never enacted.

Protests and Government Response

Autorickshaw drivers went on strike across Mumbai to protest the language mandate which meant that commuters faced severe transit disruptions as vehicles refused to operate in multiple areas of the city.

The state government has initiated a month-long statewide drive to assess the Marathi language skills of active drivers. Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) issued compliance notices to 331 drivers across the state for failing to demonstrate a working knowledge of Marathi. This regulatory action targeted 139 drivers operating within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) alone, PTI reported.

After videos circulating on social media showed demonstrations in a few locations in Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified the administration's policy goals.

"First of all, there is no reason for our Hindi-speaking brothers who work as taxi or auto drivers here to become experts in Marathi. They only need to know enough Marathi to carry out their work, and that is what has been requested,” he told reporters.